Unsystematic
by Zencolour
Summary: Officer Steen, a somewhat aged Lucario, has returned to the field in the hunt for a local crime syndicate on the humble planet of Aether. However, following a brutal mugging and the sabotage of his spacecraft, the officer is forced to catch a lift with a rather unusual eeveelution. Crest isn't your average Jolteon by any means - but there's more than meets the eye. A sci-fi Oneshot


Unsystematic

* * *

Officer Steen, a somewhat aged Lucario, has returned to the field in the hunt for a local crime syndicate on the humble planet of Aether. However, following a brutal mugging and the sabotage of his spacecraft, the officer is forced to catch a lift with a rather unusual eeveelution. Crest isn't your average Jolteon by any means - but there's more than meets the eye.

* * *

Introduction - The System

* * *

'The System' is a collection of planets and inhabited bodies that make up a classic disk of material circling a Type B main sequence star. Many of these are sparse outposts populated, to varying extents, by numerous pokemon who have found modern niches in which to survive and thrive. The history of such the System spans millennia and now that Pokemon have been around for eons, their past has become nonsensical. Only the most recent conflict is still ingrained in the collective memory - a biological war which wiped over half of the System's population and the home planet Hera. Following such a disaster, the UIOS (United Interplanetary and Outpost System) was created by many of the top 'Stowy' businesses (the most popular stock exchange index) as an figurehead for economic stability and hence peace for upcoming generations.

However, as part of a ongoing plot to gain control of the economic expanse of the stellar system, the UIOS have been ruthless with their expansion. Following the installation of the FLUX-highway (allowing fast-as-light travel between outposts) the UIOS became a dominant economic power in the System. Improved transport technology and trade has allowed industry to bloom and wealth to flourish out of the ashes of a struggling war-ridden past. Yet in such a positive-sum world, where there is wealth so too is there poverty. With a new stage of universal politics comes the potential for corruption and even slavery. With money comes power, and the UIOS have steadily started to gain both.

* * *

 **Unsystematic - A Onsehot**

* * *

A radio sat on the windowsill, playing music at a volume that could just be caught at above the whisper of the wind in the trees. Birds were singing outside. Scents clung to the summer breeze which hinted at a moist spell of rain in the coming afternoon. The only window in the narrow room was wide open, bringing in the aroma of freshly mown grass, daisies, and other pleasant smells. 'Hey Baby' played across the analogue wireless which crackled every now and then. It was almost as if the machine was tuning itself onto the invisible electromagnetic waves. Paired with midday sunshine at the horizon, the inside of the small ward was almost welcoming.

Well, as welcoming as a ward of a hospital could be. Whitewashed walls would always be a stark imposing barrier devoid of colour. It was a fairly typical PokéCenter in the fact that the decoration was sparse. An interior seemed to be characterised only by the glowing white and pink colour scheme, pressed linen, and everything else you come to expect from the healthcare franchise. In this day and age, medical care had almost become a trivial matter for most.

Not that this meant much to the bundle of fur that lay curled up on the bed closest to the window. Warm gusts of air ruffled his fur, a stark black and blue compared to the white sheets that covered the small hospital bed. Chiseled steel spikes clung to his body, a musty colour in the bright sunshine for the otherwise aura Pokémon. His chest rose and fell gently in his shallow slumber, ears pulled back flat across his head.

It wasn't an overly peaceful sleep. Instead it was a contrast of dual states. First was that of rest, but more defined was the perpetual underlying readiness that identified the policing background of the Lucario as clearly as any badge.

His eyelids twitched.

Otherwise the room was empty of inhabitants. The other medical beds and benches were set out ready but lacking occupants. Not that many would be arriving. Aether was not the most busy nor bustling of planets, and Roassay was a small town on the outskirt of Continent Maxima. Though the occasional cargo ship came through, there was nothing left but a rarely visited tourist destination to see the old quarries. The harbour was idyllic but lacked the character of the picturesque ports further up towards the Golden Coast.

The Lucario rolled over with a groan before, after a deep breath, slid off the bed and onto his feet. Placing a paw at the base of his spine, the Pokemon winced visibly. With a grunt of determination, he took a few steps over the window and there he stood.

The breeze tickled at the air of his ears at the steel-type closed his eyes gently.

That was how the nurse found him.

Pushing the door open softly, she froze upon seeing her newest patient out of bed already. The Lucario had his arms crossed, balancing poorly on the balls of his feet as his chest rose and fell heavily. A slightly ruffled blue tail seemed to twist now and then in the breeze.

'Uh…'

The Chansey eyed the Pokemon with some uncertainty. She'd read his file only a few moments earlier. Scanning through the document tiredly had given the small Egg Pokemon all the information she needed to know about the UIOS officer. He'd been jumped on the street the night before and was found in the early hours of the morning. Sadly that wasn't an uncommon thing in Roassay. Though, most notably about situation was the broken forms of another six beefy pokemon. Unlike the aura Pokemon, they would be spending their night in the station down the road.

She checked her nurses' watch out of habit, shuffling into the room and letting the door close behind. A tray of dinner held lightly in her small paws rattled slightly as the bowls of faintly steaming broth rippled.

The click of the latch seemed to bring the Lucario out of his trance. Turning his head slowly, he reached down a black paw to flick the radio off lazily. The wireless had previously been playing something which sounded like Doo-Wop though it could have been a more recent Bebop spin on the old singles. Nobody really came up with anything original in this day and age. In fact, there was little left to be original about

'Uh...good morning sir…' The Chansey tried to make herself look busy.

Initially putting down the tray of dinner on the bedside desk, she checked the temperature of the soup with a small sniff. Trotting over to the end of the steel-frame cot, the nurse lifted the clipboard from it's slot and went through the typical routine. She ran down the column of notes with a well-practiced pace. For a second her eyes flickered up to the Lucario, only to see he had returned his attention to the window once more. The black aura-organs neatly resting on his neck seemed to hover for a moment.

The Chansey went through the rest of the tick box exercise fairly quickly.

'How are you feeling this morning Sir?' she piped up after a few moments, unsure whether or not she should have been disturbing the tall Pokemon.

The UIOS officer cleared his throat quietly.

One paw was pressed against the small of his back.

'I could be better…' he sighed at last with a husky voice. Turning away from the window and he blinked a few times as if trying to bring the room back into focus. 'Ah...lunch...thank you.'

A paw was still firmly placed against his back,

'I shouldn't need to stay long…'

The aura-Pokemon spoke matter of factly in a slightly tight-lipped manner. Suspecting that it was more do with his regimental training than age, the nurse noted the fact down anyways.

Pausing for a moment, the Chansey wiped her small paws down her apron.

'Well before we can officially discharge you, we must do a complete run of tests to ensure there is nothing beyond the...uh...superficial.'

Nodding in a display of understanding, the Lucario limped back over the bed slowly. For a moment the nurse thought he might gently lift himself back on. Instead, the taller steel-type reached over to where his few loose positions had been stored neatly next to his pillow. The steel spike on the back of his paw flashed under the bright LED striplights before he flipped open his credentials for the Chansey.

'I don't mean to be rude...but I'm hoping that this should smooth over any problems you may have.'

He plucked out his business credentials with surprising grace given the Pokemon had rather thick digits. Handing the flap of card to the nurse, she wasn't sure what to do with the thing and so dropped it into the pocket of her apron with a slight flush. Hesitant for what to do or say to the patient, she stood in silence for a few awkward moments before deciding it was better just leave the room and seek out the guidance of the current doctor on duty. That had always been the protocol for difficult patients.

With a sad heave of breath, the Lucario watched her go before leaning on the bed gently. Pulling the aluminum tray over rather lazily, he sniffed at the warm air wafting over top of the meal before picking up one of the bowls gently.

It was only about half an hour later that UIOS officer Rob Steen, now with his fur combed into a more presentable manner, descended the steps in front of the small hospital.

It was a bit blustery in the early-afternoon sun as the Lucario adjusted his small satchel slung over his shoulder. Double-checking he still had his credentials stored inside, he instead pulled out a scrap of paper and read the instructions on it carefully. The secretary at the desk had kindly listed off the route through town to the hanger at the far side. Yet, even within a stable planet like Aether, it was clear that there were pockets that still distrusted the UIOS.

Then again, the whole purpose of his presence here was to attain the extent of such distrust. With reports of a small crime syndicate, or mafia, why such a task had fallen to a senior officer like him was beyond the Lucario. This was the type of job he would have done forty years ago.

But the higher-ups had been unusually pushy and so here he was.

First night and he'd already ended up in hospital.

Resting a paw on the small of his back once more, Officer Steen squinted as the crinkled paper once more.

'So...right on the other side of town huh.'

After a moment studying the note, he shoved it in his bag once more. Trying to ignore the pain in his back, the officer walked in a measured manner to hide a faint limp.

Roassay was a strange settlement made of poky streets and stocky buildings wedged between thick walls of the local granite which had become so famous. In fact, much of the material quarried was actually granodiorite which once hosted some of the most extensive mineralised lodes in the west continent. That was until the deposits became exhausted further exploration moved sights (and the fortunes) of many up coast. Now Roassy was an old city with only deprivation to fill the void. People scratched a living but not much else here. It's only claim to fame was the remaining open-pit mines which had been turned into adventure parks nearly a hundred years ago. They attracted the odd tourist group now and then from the mainland.

Officer Steen had done as much research as he could on Continent Maxima upon having his current assignment thrust upon him. There wasn't much left in terms of modern culture - though you could say the same about anywhere in the Stellar System these days. Following the pre-war industrialised boom most of the population now made their home on outposts strewn throughout the outer-system. An old inner planet like Aether with it's dusty arid climate was no place for the modern loot-junkies and other self-made entrepreneurs.

Most of the pokemon left were those that were suited to the stable seas that the moonless Aether had coating half of it's surface. Fishing was poor and the remaining income in the area came from refining the harsh granitic headlands into zeolite filters. But even these were becoming outdated in the newly designed UIOS funded vessels.

Pokemon from Roassy didn't like strangers.

Officer Steen had found that out the hard way in what had really been a drink-infused brawl with no thought behind the actions. He just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Then again, the UIOS candidate had been through many of the rougher sides of many outposts. He'd seen enough staged accidents to know that what had happened the night before was as good as any other. The attack had been premeditated, although they had underestimated the extent of the officers training.

In one way that was a good thing, but it also meant that next time they wouldn't be so underprepared.

The Lucario kept a watchful eye as he made his way down the high street.

Passing block after block of prefabs, as well as a few older stone builds which at least had some local character, he found himself on the other side of town. The high street had been dappled with old rosewoods, as well as faded bunting from a festival he'd been told occurred about three months prior. Odd houses had well-cut lawns which indicated poverty more than wealth, as well as those with the free time to tend such gardens. The heat of the place was a little stiflying, but it wasn't that which kept people indoors. When fishing local Aethern Seaks, you had to live a nocturnal lifestyle. Only in the darkness did the tri-finned tuna come within reach of the trawlers nets.

Adjusting his satchel, the hours' walk had helped erode some of the pain in the Lucario's back. Scratching at his head, he studied the now sweaty piece of paper in his paw for the last time. Certain that he was on the right street, the officer was only certain he'd found the hanger upon walking past the faded sign out front. Stopping in his tracks and he eyed out the parking bays for his own vessel.

That was, until he saw what remained of his once plucky little fighter. The ship had been left for scrap out the front of the hanger and rightfully so. Sat behind the rusted chain link fence, already with a fine film of pinkish dust coating the painwork, the steel-type wasn't entirely sure what to do.

With no other choice, he headed towards the only building in the shipyard.

Thankfully, the manager of the hanger was more than happy to help. The rather butch Nidoqueen was chewing on something or other as she squinted over the counter of the faded workstation. Wiping her paws on a oily rag did little to remove the grime from between her digits. After a little persuasion, and eyeing up the officer with her keen eye for finding who earnt what, the Nidoqueen led him through the bilet gate.

It was clear from the empty hanger that not many Pokemon stopped by Roassay for long. Only one ship was docked in the first bay, and the small vessel looked more like a pile of junk then anything that could fly. It's owner must have thought otherwise as a small eeveelution tinkered with the opened vent of a side engine - a young Jolteon by the looks of things. However after his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting another more high-speck vehicle was parked at the far end of the shed.

The UIOS Officer noticed a lack of registration on the dusty ship.

However, the Nidoqueen disturbed this thought as she talked with a thick accent

'Eh? Well...you'll 'ave to pay the docking fee 'enners bud. Not much I can do 'bout that.' She explained as she stomped out and into the main yard. Following behind in a more civil gait, the officer eyed the surroundings wearly. The hanger looked more like a junk-yard than a port for spacecraft.

'Well 'ere it is. You can try and tell me whatcha like but that's a gonna for sure…' The owner trailed off, eyeing Officer Steen out of the corner of her pig-like eyes.

The Lucario sighed and nodded in agreement.

'I think you're right.'

It wasn't the newest of ships, but one he'd learnt inside-out over the past few years zipping from outpost to outpost. It was an old 4128 IETA P-Class tri-drive, one heck of machine back in it's day over forty years ago. For small fighters IETA now used the more stable mono-drive for maneuverability, largely since the UIOS launched the FLUX-highway nearly a decade ago. That didn't stop the chunky P-Class from being a shuttle of choice for Officer Steen. Christened 'Almanic' (after the agency which created the blockchain cryptocurrency which the UIOS had since become dependant on) it had become a one-of-a-kind vessel after years of tinkering.

And now it was a ruin.

Much of the metalwork had been torn apart by what looked like spark-worker tools, and old ones at that. The interior Blue Fusion core had been exposed, dented, and eventually cracked with brute force. The capacitors adjoining the small engine had been blown, and the wireless hubs retro-fitted to the hull had been smashed to high heaven. There was little left to get the ship off the ground, let alone out the atmosphere. Now gutted, there was little that could be done to save the Almanic save a completely new tri-drive and fuselage.

The Lucario heaved a sigh.

'I don't think the local's round 'ere like you UIOS lot…' The owner of the hanger crossed her chubby arms after getting a rather flat sideways glance from Officer Steen. At least she had the decency to look embarrassed. Yet even that didn't last for long.

'What even is the UIOS you know? What does it stand for?'

She spoke with a broad accent, making UIOS sound more like _usos_ in a way that was frustrating.

The Steel-type took a while to answer, too busy casting a weak eye around the small establishment. It had become clear very early on that the Nidoqueen, a large Pokemon in her own right, could have held off a small force and give enough time to call the authorities. That, and her nonchalant dismissal of what was clearly illegal activities on her property, was a little suspicious. There was too much of a coincidence between a mugging and the destruction of his getaway vehicle to slip by the seasoned officer.

'It stands for United Interplanetary and Outpost System.'

Officer Steen spoke calmly even as he turned away from the ruins of his ship.

'And…' He continued slowly, reaching into his bag. 'I'm going to have to ask you some questions regarding the running of this hanger. It is clear that this was an act of vandalism, and I need access to both the Cee'cams and the licensing of all users from the past week.'

The Nidoqueen blanched.

Pulling his credentials out of his satchel, it was only then that he felt the first shot being fired.

The bolt sizzled into the ground before he had time to react, burning into the arid soil a good few feet in front of his black paws. Fast as light, the laser shot had nearly put a hole between his eyes, but instead had gone wide. Not waiting for a second and most likely fatal bolt, the aura-pokemon relaxed into a fighting stance and threw up a neat forcefield to coat the air before his paws. Sidestepping away from the large rock-type, he ignored the hanger owner who seemed to dive for her own cover.

Another fizzle burst through the air, vaporizing a path with a slightly turbulence and the scent of ozone. Holding his paws out in front of him while continually channeling his extensive reserves of aura into the shield, the Lucario waited poised.

The junkyard had become silent in a single instant as the faint breeze rolled a tumbling Aeth'weed across the stony ground in front of him.

Another shot zoomed through the air, ricocheting off his shield only to ping into the dirt.

Shouting loudly in his gruff voice, the Lucario rolled onto the balls of his feet.

'Officer Steen UIOS Candidate Agency 137! Lay down your weapons and leave before I use lethal force for the self preservation of an officer!'

The standardized words sounded dry on his tongue. How many times had he said that before with the outcome always remaining the same? People fought and got hurt, injured, arrested, or ended up dead for what was essentially petty crime. He'd seen enough in his decades of service to heft out a deep breath, relax his shoulders, and gently extend his aura vision outwards to assess the nature of the impeding fight.

What he didn't expect, was the sudden appearance of the eeveelution next to him.

'There are four behind the old hunk of junk to your left, another five to the east next to the main hanger, and ten with 'peds next to the gate in case you make a run for it. The warning shots are there to encourage you towards the hanger where their main force is - with six armed that I saw. Thankfully you ended ip on the blind-side of your old ship, another foot to the left and you'd have be dead already.'

The Jolteon didn't seem very old, only past adolescence, but slid up next to the Lucario to a surprising height. It didn't seem natural at all, the electric-type balancing on two legs in a way that seemed somewhat bipedal. He also had an overly enlarged tail which hung down limply in the midday sun. The static emanating off his body was making the Lucario's fur stand on end as Officer Steen sent another wash of energy into the glowing shield which was now turned in the direction of the hanger.

'And I'm supposed to trust you in this set up? Let you lead me away into the trap?'

The Jolteon, which looked like he could have been gen-altered if it was still legal, had his back to the officer. It was because of this that the Lucario wasn't able to see the electric-types faint smile.

'If I was a Pallanium smuggler then that's how I'd do it too. These guys aren't that good however...and I'm from a third party.'

He paused,

'I'm also the only person with a ship in this situation. That might be beneficial for a person in your current position.'

Officer Steen raised an eyebrow, slightly amused by the mocking tone which the Jolteon used to copy the accent of the old UIOS candidate.

Another shot had whizzed off the armoured plating of the Lucario's old P-class fighter, and the officer twitched his shield form habit.

'And why would a Jolteon such as yourself walk into the firing line given this situation?' Officer Steen whispered harshly, turning to face to Jolteon so as not to expose his back. The Pokemon before him was busy scanning the eastern side of the hanger yard, where a few empty cargo boxes were the only objects that could provide any cover across the arid plain.

The dusty hanger looked empty apart from the eeveelution's battered ship.

Officer Steen remembered the unregistered ship parked in the far bay.

'Third party secrets.' The Jolteon smirked, 'I couldn't tell you. Anyways, it's not like they can do any serious harm with those outdated weapons...You haven't got any on you right? Nothing digital?'

Beyond confusion at this point, and slightly outwitted by the fast-talking Jolteon, the steel-type shook his head slowly.

'Ok on my signal.'

'WAIT...what?'

But the Jolteon had already pulled a small round device out of nowhere. With a click and the UIOS officer suddenly became aware of the small metal sphere beeping within his partner's electric paws. With a casual lob, the eeveelution launched the fist-sized object through the air towards the front of the hanger.

In a heartbeat the Jolteon ducked a sizzling laser bolt, grabbed hold of the Lucario, and was fevertently trying to pull him in the direction of the hanger.

Officer Steen however, did not budge an inch.

Already panting from exertion, the Jolteon loosed go and shot the Lucario a wounded look.

'Come on! That was going to be a e…'

He was cut off by a small explosion. The Jolteon's throw had been near perfect, rolling the small metal ball across the front of the hanger to nearly touch the rear of his antique vessel. A moment later and the thing exploded into a puff of smoke, fuming out white clouds which billowed and rapidly started filling the air with a thick fog. Yet the UIOS officer was also drawn to another fact - the blue sparkle of what was obviously an EMP burst. The explosion had expanded rapidly through his field of vision with only a ochre after-hue left behind.

'Kid...you have issues.' The Lucario spoke harshly, shaking off the strange-looking Jolteon, 'You just wiped out your own ship?'

Heaving out an exasperated sigh, the Jolteon cross his furry forepaws. Behind him the forms of large water-types were emerging as shadows through the white fog. Faint shouting could be heard at the bandits tried to organize themselves through what was apparently an unexpected retaliation.

'Just stay here.'

The Jolteon was already jogging off towards the cloud of smoke, not even glancing back at the officer, stood rolling his shoulders. Falling into a fluid running gait, the eeveelution returned to a more natural four-pawed sprint. But at this point the Lucario was beyond paying overly much attention. He'd seen amatuer heros like this cause more damage than good in such situations. Ensuring his glowing blue shield was still held on in front of him, he squinted at the ensuing chaos and prepared an aura charge in his right forepaw. This could just be another trick to get the Lucario to slip into yet another trap.

That was, until his ears pricked up at the sound of engines firing. It was a whirring noise unlike anything the seasoned officer had heard before. A metronome of clunking followed, before with a sound like an antique jet, a small ship punctured through the wall of smoke. Sailing along as a leisurely walking pace, Officer Steen was more surprised that a hunk of junk could fly. The fact that it had survived a point-range EMP seemed plausible upon the sight of what looked like a ship fashioned from agricultural parts hovering in front of him.

His jaw dropped open on it's own accord.

The ship wasn't anything conventional, that was for sure. It was built with a central fuselage forming a narrow hull and two symmetrical engines hung of from either side. These seemed monstrous compared to the small cockpit, with twin steering flights and cooling brackets like something from a classic glider. That was before you got to the massive cooling fans at the back of both of the engines. These were whirling rapidly. Much of the workings of the ship could be clearly seen, as very little was hidden beneath the warped paneling. Tubes and brackets stood proud, as well piping and switches, circuitry and metres upon metres of cable.

The rest was made out of steering fins, the two largest on the tail of the central fuselage giving the impression of tail feathers. Where the plating of the steel body had been sprayed, white paint was the only thing that gave the ship character. However, much of the look came from the sheer amount of apparently random engineering. Things were wielded on at weird angles, with piping looping and bent in bizarre places. Slowing down to a stop whilst hovering mere centimetres from the ground, the flexispex of the cockpit was still open.

Flashes of laser pulses shot through the air at lightspeed, only identifiable by the instantaneous appearance of small pocket and craters in the soil. Another collided with Officer Steen's shield as he ducked instincitvely, knowing that his reactions would never be quick enough to doge the photon beams.

The electric-type steered his ship round in a tight circle, blasting a wave of hot air over the Lucario.

Leaning out of the cockpit, the jagged yellow fur gave the Jolteon a tufty appearance as his tongue lolled out in a grin.

'Jump in.'

Another bolt ricocheted off his shield, and then yet another shot bounced off the battered plate of the floating ship itself.

Officer Steen was starting to sweat at this point, trying to keep an eye on everything at once. Maintaining his shield whilst preparing to materialize a staff into his spare paw, The Lucario wasn't ready to back down yet. That didn't stop the Jolteon from hovering nearby, his battered ship apparently absorbing the majority of the photon beams that seemed to come from all directions at once.

Things rapidly become much, much worse when another ship appeared out of the mist.

It was a characteristic low-range W-class hauler. Although past it's time now, the twin intakes of the old mico-freighter made the thin air flicker and dance as it billowed through the white smoke. The ship had been adapted somewhat, with the tow hitch space to the rear of the two-man vessel stripped off and replaced with trawling equipment.

But the most disturbing add-on was the four inch barrel of a plasma cannon retrofitted to the side of the ship. Admittedly, it did make the W-class hauler a little off center - but that wouldn't make much difference at this range. Although Officer Steen was confident he could deflect the low-calibre rifles the outlaws were firing, he doubted he could survive a point-range blast from the plasma cannon.

'It's now or never!' The Jolteon was obviously preoccupied with the arming of his own small ship, but yelled over towards the UIOS officer anyways. Even against one of the smallest market-produced hauler ever built, his battered ship looked tiny in comparison. It was a wonder the thing could fly at all as the two over-sized engines lowered in what could only be described as an invitation to board.

'Darn Kid…' Officer Steen swore under his breath, gave a second look at the approaching modded mico-freighter, and lept up onto the side of the Jolteon's ship.

Not wanting to accidentally kick a piece of the ship off, something which looked alarmingly possible as his shifted his rear paws, the Lucario clung onto the central fuselage with his front paws. Bent awkwardly to avoid the steel spike on his chest gouging into the metal work, he paused for breath and gritted his teeth against the pain in his back. Then, with a grunt, he flipped himself over and tumbled into the cockpit of the antique spaceship.

Only a second later, the flexispex banged shut and the hiss of an airlock roared momentarily. Officer Steen's ears popped and not a moment too soon, as the land below suddenly shot away as they rose sickeningly into the air. Gaining height rapidly, Officer Steen did his best to ignore the throbbing in his back whilst rearranging himself into a more comfortable position. Such a feat was increasingly difficult given the size of the ship, which was so small that his elbows rubbed the inside of the cabin. It was a twin-seater vehicle but only just, with the main controls and steering accessible from the short leather chair placed directly before his knees.

The Jolteon's ears were pulled back as he focused, moving what appeared to be a yoke between his stubby legs. The movement of the ship was responsive as they gained height alarmingly.

The growl of the cooling fans could be heard vibrating through the metal of the bodywork.

'Welcome to the JAY.'

The eeveelution perched on the seat in front of the Lucario spoke loudly to be heard over the sound of the rattling of the ship.

Officer Steen wasn't sure what to say...and whether to be thankful or not.

Quite frankly, the JAY (which the UIOS candidate thought was a silly name for a ship) was the biggest pile of junk he'd ever seen. The interior of the two seater looked like something out of a retro-remastered taped movie. Nearly every nook and niche was filled with a vast array of switches, buttons, and small flashing LEDS. Many switches lacked any sort of labelling, and those that did had the words crossed out and modifications scrawled across the plastic. The programming boards, for that's what they looked like, were clearly sourced from some sort of agricultural machine. What's more, the pilot was steering with an old-fashioned yoke like something out of the Lucario's school days. If anything, the ship was built like a podracer rather than a respectable spaceship.

However (after all of that) It was remarkably clean, even if the electronics appeared hashed by an ameteur. Hundreds of small LEDs seemed to flash or flicker at different rates and the Jolteon studied them all with a single glance around the space in front of him.

No holoprojection existed before the pilot, something which the officer thought was impossible to fly without. In fact, it appeared some parts of the programming board had genuine digitised screened readouts. The steel-type didn't even know you could get those things any more.

'I'll just s…'

The voice of the adolescent Jolteon was cut short when the ship suddenly tumbled to the side. Reaching for an handle instinctively only to find there wasn't one, the Lucario in the back seat instead fumbled for his seat as they spiraled suddenly into a looping roll. The ship lacked any gravity-assists it appeared, as they felt every twist and turn of the tiny vessel which was being steered erratically through the thin blue atmosphere.

The Lucario was starting to feel his lunch come back up when the Jolteon's voice rose suddenly from the seat before him. All officer Steen could do was stare at the poorly fixed leather seat as he tried to make sense of what the eeveelution was saying.

'The readout? I should be to your left? A four digit number!'

The Lucario was seeing stars as they continued to plunge, twist, and turn. The view through the glass of the cockpit turned from sun to land to sky to land too quickly for his mind to cope.

'Where?' He managed to force the word out even as the lateral g's were starting to glue him into his seat. Blood was rushing to his head.

Thankfully, the pilot eased out of the role into a swooping turn. Officer Steen shook his head, rubbed at his muzzle, and tried to find the small screen near his left forepaw.

'Got anything?'

The Jolteon was getting impatient.

'How does two thousand and…'

'That'll do.' The pilot cut through shortly, biting his words as he twisted the JAY around into another tight turn. It was only at this point that Officer Steen was able to see the harsh vapour trails from the plasma cannon curving across the atmosphere. But in an instant, this too was gone as the ship rolled again. LEDs were flashing and the Lucario was distinctly aware of the whirling of the two cooling fans on the symmetrical engine blocks on either side of him.

He wasn't aware that ships could complete such tight maneuvers that he was being thrown through. Sweat was starting to seep through his fur as he clung to his seat and ignored the bile at the back of his throat.

The Jolteon finally twisted the ship into a level position. Large fins on the side of the engines tilted and flared to stabilise the rolling until they were once more on a level plane.

With a flash the Lucario could suddenly see the W-class ship in front of them. Over the top of the Jolteon's head, most of which was blocking his view, the micro-freighter was charging up it's canon once more. The large muzzle of the gun slung the ship on a tilt as it leaked static charge in a cascade of blue sparks.

There was a single click, barely audible.

For a moment the world hung in utter silence. Officer Steen could hear himself draw in a deep breath.

Then, without warning, the small ship in front of them exploded into a burst of flame. It was as if the vessel had suddenly imploded, sucking in on itself as the vacuum of the fusion core tore the vessel apart from the inside out. They could only watch it for a brief second as the JAY continued to accelerate, tearing past the explosion which gravity was already dragging back down to the surface.

Now that the short dogfight was over, the pilot steered the ship gently through the turbulence of the atmosphere.

'What the hell was that?!' The Lucario asked before he could stop himself. In part this was due the nervous energy that was created upon seeing such destruction, but also his own interest as a member of the UIOS. Having never before seen such a weapon capable of such destruction, the steel-type knew he'd have to write a report on this at some point. An antique ship capable of bringing down a small W-class without photon cannons? Impossible surely?

In front of him, the large Jolteon's ears picked up.

'That was why lasers are old fashioned. Though, admittedly the microfighter lacks any kind of shielding...but then it wouldn't matter if it did. No shield can stop a railgun with a demagnetized bolt flying at ten times the speed of sound. You just got lucky to see a shot go through the main reactor core. Impressive stuff.'

The Lucario wasn't sure what to say.

Thankfully, the talkative Jolteon filled in the silence for him.

'So Officer...where you heading? I'm not sure about the protocol at this point…'

The Lucario's eyes narrowed

'How about I ask you a few questions kid?'

There was a pause, during which the small vibrations in the ship filled the silence.

'Go ahead.' The Jolteon spoke slowly, bringing the JAY in a curving turn before angling the small ship upwards. Clouds billowed past briefly before being replaced by endless blue sky.

'First off.' Officer Steen's voice was calm as he eyed the Jolteon's tail sticking between the gap in his leather aircraft seat. 'What was you involvement with those guys? You claim you are from a third party? Why are you so eager to he…'

'Gees. At least let me answer some first.' The pilot cut through in a light tone.

His paws flicked at a couple of switches and the whirling of the huge cooling fans stilled.

'Those guys...as you most likely already know...were from the Hightail Mafia. They run much of the Golden Coast and I'm guessing most of the credits passing hands down this way have gone through them at some point. As for me...well...I have some interest in why a candidate of the UIOS with third level clearance is doing in the backwaters of Aether? That's just asking for a mugging.'

The Lucario sighed heavily, still feeling remarkably uncomfortable, squished in the back of the tiny ship.

'Internal politics. You don't want to know.'

'Sure don't.' The Jolteon agreed.

It was only then that Officer Steen noticed that a small rear-view mirror was sat up in the near corner of the cockpit. Although the Jolteon was lazily steering the small pile of junk, he was also watching his passenger out of the corner of his hazel eyes. Upon realising this, the Lucario continued to behave as if he hadn't noticed this fact. With a measured movement, he began studying the steel spikes on the back of his paws.

'And where did you come across on a ship like this?'

The electric-type snorted,

'Of all the things to ask...and you don't even start with my name? I thought you'd have looked me up by now?'

'And?' Officer Steen drew out the word carefully. He was falling back on old tactics he'd picked up from years of experience - experience which had never involved him hopping into a strangers spaceship like this. That, and he was out of practice from a few years of comfy desk-jobs. So the Lucario remained tight, quiet, and hoped his apparent lack of semi-disinterest would mean the Jolteon would become bored and drop him off somewhere.

And yet, there was something about the Pokemon which stirred some strange curiosity in the officer. The reckless nature of the adolescent, not to mention what were admittedly one of a kind piloting skills for a rust-bucket like this, were admirable. Somehow the Jolteon reminded Officer Steen of himself when he was younger. Back in the days when the System had seemed to big and his place in it even bigger. Before the FLUX highway made the universe seem so small.

The Jolteon continued to use the ancient yoke to steer the ship in a tightening curve upwards. Both were starting to get pushed into their seats by the acceleration.

'The name's Crest.'

He spoke quietly, slumped back in his faded leather seat apparently unaware of the g force which was starting to pull at his passenger's stomach.

'So here we are.' Crest straighten himself and leant forwards to flick a few more switches. Officer Steen was more than clueless at what this actually achieved, but he assumed it was some sort of autopilot. The Jolteon lifted and locked the yoke out the way before sliding his seat forward a few clicks. Never had the arua-user been so grateful for the extra space in his life as he straightened the cramp out of his legs in turn.

The sky through the cockpit glass overhead was starting to darken.

'Where are you heading then Officer Steen? What's the protocol when you find your personal fighter's been sabotaged? Or were the UIOS _trying_ to kill you by sending you into the centre of the Hightail Mafia territories?'

Wiping at his forehead, the Lucario was trying to think through his next plan of action at that very moment. It was indeed possible that the higher-up's were trying to purposefully silence the UIOS candidate with the high-risk surveillance mission. Such a concept had already been a worrying thought for the steel-type, even more so with just how rapidly he'd been jumped. Either than or he was becoming increasingly paranoid with age. The aura-user already seen some of his older comrades befall post-traumatic disorders following years of intensive service.

'So…?'

The Jolteon interrupted his train of thought.

Clearing his throat stiffly, the Lucario tried to avoid his younger reflection in the rear-view mirror.

'Tauredi if possible. Returning to headquarters would be best.'

'Sounds like a plan. We'll have to stop to refuel on the way but won't take more than half an hour or so.'

Officer Steen froze,

'Refueling? This isn't a fusion drive?'

'A bi-fusion drive just for stability would be bigger than the whole ship!' The Jolteon snorted, 'This runs on a twin-FLUX drive but that in itself has limitations. We're limited to low-range if we're skimming through the atmosphere and that's going to eat up the battery packs.'

He paused before adding,

'And I don't want to send myself into a coma trying to keep this going with my own charge.

'Batteries?'

'Yeah a whole three-two stack of old LIMEX batteries. Typically means free fuel when you're in the inner quarter, but then the JAY eats through them in low range.'

Officer Steen sat in silence as he pondered over the eeveelutions words. In fact, he didn't have long for Crest quickly snapped the yoke back into position, switched a few flickering LEDs on and off in what appeared to be a determined manner, before steering the ship down from cruising height. Tilting forward somewhat, the officer realised the pilot was flying mostly blind. There was no glass under his feet from which to see the ground below. Desert hundred of feet beneath them was quickly coming into resolution as they dropped out of the sky.

The Lucario could feel his stomach pushing up into his throat as his paws once more grabbed hold of the seat between his legs.

'Is it really that bad?' Crest joked with a warm laugh.

'You ever heard of gravity-assists kid? This thing's worse than the vomit comet. At least that thing had seatbelts.'

'I never got round to putting one in the backseat.' The Jolteon admitted sheepishly,

Thankfully for Officer Steen, the remainder of the flight wasn't as bad as it could have been. He held his stomach down, kept a level head, and managed to send a prayer to the inventor of modern spaceflight technology. All the Lucario could think of was how rough they must have had it in the old days. Then again, maybe they didn't attempt crazy maneuvers back then like the reckless eeveelution had. He flew the tin can like a boy racer - but the most alarming thing was that the pile of junk could handle it.

The landing clear extending with a resounding grinding noise before, with a puff of exhaust steam, the JAY landed with surprising ease. Gently the world could be felt under the fuselage and after only a moment's hesitation, Crest manually popped the cockpit open. With a hiss the air equalised with the dry atmosphere outside. Without a second thought, the Lucario hopped out, balanced precariously on the edge of the cockpit so as not to smash into the myriad of switches, and the bounced over an engine to land on the hard ground.

For a brief moment Officer Steens simply wiggled his paws in the dirt.

A puff of hot air ruffled the officer's fur as he rubbed at the mask-like markings over his snout. Clearing the dust from his eyes, he turned his attention to the small outpost they'd found themselves at.

'Couldn't you have stopped at a more…uh...'

'They know me here.' Crest interrupted offhandedly.

Officer Steen wasn't quite sure how to word his observations without being rude. The scorched steel of the landing pad was one of a dozen sprawled around a stout central building. Obviously a waypoint for larger haulers, the landing platform dwarfed the tiny rust-bucket. Drawing his eyes away from the ancient machine, the officer instead adjusted the strap of his sachal and analysed the large central hub. To say it looked unsavoury might have been an understatement. The faded steel looked like it hadn't been painted in over two decades.

'You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.'

Crest's voiced his opinion from a position on top of his small spaceship. Already the Jolteon had managed to pull out a long extension of solarfoil on one side of the cockpit and was in the process of unravelling another opposite. Both foil panels fluttered slightly in the wind, although they were roughly angled towards the main sol. Balanced nimbly over top of the one of the still-spinning cooling fans of an exterior engine, it was clear that Crest wasn't your typical Jolteon. His somewhat humanoid stance somehow seemed wrong as he used a paw to finish his work in an overly dexterous manner. Upon jumping back onto the ground and falling onto all fours however, it was almost as if the Jolteon was just like any other.

Officer Steen was tempted to ask for his ID there and then...but something stopped him. In a sudden state of internal turmoil, the Jolteon brought the UIOS officer out of his thoughts.

'Keep an eye out…' he trailed, rubbing at his snout to itch the tip of his nose

'I thought you said they know you here?'

Crest huffed,

'Yeah and much like you, not for the right reasons. Just keep to yourself.'

'I know what I'm doing kid.'

The eeveelution eyed the Lucario as he trotted past.

'That's what I'm worried about officer. We don't want any arrests today.'

The UIOS kept his cool, but couldn't help showing a small flash of his pearly white teeth in a grimace. Ignoring the Jolteon's somewhere over-inflated ego however, he dropped in behind and followed Crest in towards the main central hub.

It was fairly empty inside, although there was a slight chill in the air - more than could be compensated by the aircon units bolted to the high ceiling. In fact it only looked like like a handful were working as they ambled down the windowed interior to the checkout desk. After the checking into the hanger, things were smoothed out fairly swiftly, with the Kangaskhan staffing the till somewhat surprised about the Jolteon disinterest in fusion fluid. Officer Steen knew all too well how much money could talk, and they found themselves sitting in a table of a fairly gritty bar a few minutes later. No questions asked.

'It's not a bad place.' Crest ran a paw along a grease stain on the table before scanning his eyes across the empty stalls. Only one person was staffing the bar, a grisly Granbull who walked with a limp. Placing his satchel between his knees, the Lucario eyed the barman which brought over two small draughts of Kee Berry mix. The sheer smell of it made the officer's nose tingle and his lunch once more lurch to the top of his stomach. That didn't stop the Lucario trying to relax. Otherwise it would become clear as day that he didn't belong in such unfavourable places.

It was alarming how naturally his decades of training came back - whether he wanted it or not.

Officer Steen adjusted his tail behind him on the seat.

'It's clear that you, and your so called third party, know more about what happened than I did.'

'So...straight to work talk?' The younger Jolteon sat on his haunches,but lifted a paw to slide his drink closer. With a small lap he took the foam off the berry smoothie.

All the while, the eeveelution fixed the Lucario with his bright hazel eyes.

'You still haven't told me about this organisation that seems so interested in me.' Officer Steen finished curtly, trying to stare out the pokemon with his aged crimson eyes.

'The organization? Well...maybe. More like just me. I could do with a person that has third level clearance in what has now become the biggest political power in the System.'

'As far as I can tell, you're a scrapper without the money to afford your own craft of merit.'

Crest appeared visibly hurt by the comment.

'The JAY is the only thing, bar the FLUX highway, that can get you across the system as the speed of light. Admittedly...it needs an upgrade...I was just a little short of parts when I built it.'

He took another lap from the glass.

'Anyhow. Just how much of a UIOS soul are you? I understanding the policing business has it's limitations with employers...but how about the ideals? How do you feel about the biggest trading corporation in the known world?'

Officer Steen stared at the Jolteon blankly,

Crest sniffed,

'Let's put it this way.' He pushed his half-empty glass to the side, 'The UIOS has done some pretty under-the-table crimes to get where it needs to go. The economic powerhouse has stepped on the toes of too many of the little people...and now those small guys want to fight back. Personally, I have particular interest in the nature of the FLUX highway. Either way, we could use a defector like you to…'

'Defector? Aren't you assuming a little too much?' The Lucario growled, 'Look where we'd be without the UIOS. Since the trade agreement and the United Exploits Project the union has restarted the System's economy. I do my job because I'm protecting the one organisation which gives a damn about the future of this System.'

Officer Steen's voice came across rather cold as he spoke calmly. However, Crest seemed unfazed by the interruption. In fact, he perked up in his seat a little, yellow ears raised and faintly tingling with static.

'And I guess you can't blame them for the Fortune Crash, nor the Pallas civil war...which is still ongoing? I'm talking big picture here.'

The Lucario's eyes narrowed.

'You think because you fake my rescue that suddenly I'm going to swoon all over you?'

'I'm testing to see if you've been locked away behind big brother.' The Jolteon leaned back in his seat, 'There seems to be a significant lack of perspective in this brave new world.'

'Huh. Right.'

They didn't talk much after that. Seeing he'd found a subject which the UIOS officer did not want to talk about, Crest returned to his drink which he sipped at thoughtfully. The officer knew the air between the two of them had become toxic.

After a few more minutes in awkward silence, the jolteon let out a loud sigh. If anything, the Lucario would have said he even looked a little crestfallen.

'This is why I don't like talking politics.' the Pokemon admitted.

'Then why did you bring it up?'

'You're supposed to the the inquisitic officer asking me questions.' Crest rubbed at his nose before pushing his drink around with a paw, 'You ever heard of the Alliance?'

'You mean the band that started the protests during the building of the FLUX highway?'

The Jolteon nodded,

'Yeah that sounds about right. Not that the highway didn't crash the outer-rim economy or anything.'

'I will admit that the UIOS can be blamed for that.' Officer Steen spoke calmly, trying to move the sour smelling beverage in front of him as far away as possible without seeming impolite.

Crest was staring at the table, though a small smile flashed across his muzzle.

'At least that's something we can agree on.'

There was only another few seats actually being used in the bar. The low-ceiling room itself stretched along the side of the central building; dirty windows staring out across the docked ships outside. Whether such a grimy bar was needed at all in hubs like these was becoming a serious issue. The nature of spaceflight was changing, with new fusion drives requiring less fuel, and when they did, small capsules of fluid could be inserted in a matter of moments. Gone were the days of long refueling sessions.

Instead, lounges like this scattered across the system became hovels for haulers that needed a place to sleep. That and whatever unsavoury character had enough time to hang around for opportune moments. Officer Steen had tracked enough suspects to grimy canteens like this to know what purpose such bars now had.

That didn't seem to faze the Jolteon sat opposite, who flicked his eyes between the window outside and the surface of the table. A few minutes later and he just leant his head back and closed his eyes. The eeveelution seemed quite happy having a small doze in the public place.

'How long are we going to have to wait?' Officer Steen interrupted, already bored and slightly on egde.

'Depends.' Crest didn't open his eyes, 'I can either drop you off at the local UIOS embassy in the industrial zone in Tauredi...or pop you over to their headquarters in the inner System. To be honest, it'll probably take the same amount of time.'

'There isn't a FLUX gate in a geostationary this side of the planet.' Officer Steen rubbed at his snout, feeling as if the grimy smell of the bar was started to soak into his fur.

Seemingly detached from the situation, the eeveelution smirked slightly, although he kept his head back and his eyes closed.

Adjusting his satchel on the seat, the Lucario sighed loudly. Something felt off about the small bag but he ignored the hunch.

Perhaps he'd lost his touch in the field, or simply he was getting too old for that line of work. The ears of the steel-type failed to pick up the sound of somebody approaching from behind. Maybe it was simply misplaced trust in the skinny Jolteon opposite, or a moment of relaxation that let the attacker draw close. Hindsight was a beautiful thing, but not in this line of work.

Officer Steen felt the blunt cold steel of the barrel pushed harshly against the back of his head.

The Lucario jumped out of the skin, but in response felt the gun being shoved harder into his skull.

'You stay there stranger.' A gravelly voice growled in a aggressive tone.

The UIOS officer steadied his breath with a forced motion of habit, letting his wealth of experience grace his mind once more.

But it was the Jolteon who answered,

'He's with me.'

Crest still had his eyes closed.

'Yeah. Well we don't like you either Kid after that last stunt you pulled. If you had something worth stealing you'd be long dead by now.'

'You're dealing with the wrong Lucario.' Crest warned quietly, although he remained slumped in his seat. In a mildly dramatic way, he pulled his eyes open slowly and leant forward on the table. Flicking his eyes between the rescued UIOS officer and the perpetrator behind, the cogs spinning in his head were clearly visible. Officer Steen wasn't sure if he was more worried about the gun, or the fact that the Jolteon was thinking up some crazy plan.

Instead, Crest continued the small talk.

'How much they offering?'

'Who?' The Pokemon grunted the word, butting the gun once more into the Lucario head. But this time, the officer didn't flinch.

'The Hightails. They've been chasing this guy as far…'

'Wait? You've grabbed him on a hunch?' The gruff pokemon interrupted loudly. His voice echoed across the bar and the Lucario csaw the barman very clearly doing his best to avoid the situation. The Kangershan was cleaning glasses with his back to the scene.

'And I'm supposed to believe you just happened across the Pokemon with a price over his head? You always claimed to be just as good as a…'

'Hey!'

The Jolteon slammed his fist on the table before pointing a paw at the figure behind the Lucario,

'You know who I am and what I can do. I'll pay you double and you'll leave us alone.'

'Double? You must be desperate. Make it triple and I'll pass on the news you were involved. Quadruple and I'll keep quiet.'

Crest snorted.

'Tell 'em. Triple it is. I'll be long gone when they come looking.'

For the one with a gun being pressed into the back of his head, Officer Steen felt very out of the touch with the situation. Following his training from decades prior, he did his best to remain calm and not attract any attention to himself. Maybe it was working.

'You think you can get far in your hunk of junk?'

' _The JAY_ made the Kettle Run in less than twelve parsecs!' The Jolteon's hackles rose as he growled.

Officer Steen could hear the Pokemon behind laughing throatily.

'Ha! The thing would get ripped to shreds if you tried. 'ere…Plug 'em dots through.'

A unit transfer device landed on the table with a bounce. Grimacing, the Jolteon reached out and spun the device to face him. A faded green screen flashed to life and after a moment's hesitation, Crest punched in his unique passcode.

'Easy money. Even more for the information I can sell about you two.'

The Jolteon picked up the transfer device and lobbed the machine over the top of the Lucario head. A moment later and Officer Steen felt the gun being relaxed, and then lifted away from his skull. Sucking in a breath, the first in what felt like hours, the Lucario resisted the urge to turn around and face the Pokemon. Usually it was better to let things like this slip by.

After a pause he did so anyway, only to realise it was a Hitmonchan he was staring at.

The fighting type sniggered, giving the officer a mocking smile.

'Pleasure doing business.'

'Yeah. You too…'

Crest mumbled the words, but it was clear he was trying to hide laughter. Waiting for the Hitmonchan to wander off obviously over-pleased with himself, the Jolteon eventually broke out with a small chuckle.

'You're going to hate me for this.'

With what was clearly a lot of practice, he picked up the edge of his glass with his front teeth. Necking the drink, he dropped the glass back down before pushing himself to his feet.

'And I'm done with this place. I was hoping something like that wouldn't have...well...never mind. We'll have enough charge for the rest of the journey. Better scram before the other's start arriving...'

Officer Steen just grumbled, unsure whether he should try and make a call for backup or not. The UIOS would love to close down a place like this, but he's already made enough noise in his Unit as it was. The Officer had been raising concerns regarding his policing duty for nearly a year now. Having made a few too many rivals, many of his colleagues were starting to call his opinions outspoken - especially regarding the FLUX highway portals. The coms links creating the neural network controlling the highway hadn't been updated since it first opened, and it was clear the UIOS was going to keep it that way.

Maybe Rob Steen caused enough displeasure to be left out here to die? Such a hypothesis was becoming more and more likely to prove true.

The UIOS candidate tried to ignore the pain in his back as he stood and followed the Jolteon out.

'How much?' He asked at last as they stepped outside and into the arid desert. Already the Sol was beating down onto the aura-users neck.

'A million dots.'

Officer Steen stopped in his tracks.

'WHAT?'

'One Million.' The Jolteon continued walking towards his rusted ship. 'And you bet he'll spend them everywhere he can 'till they run out.

The Lucario was trying to find the words but failed.

'But don't worry!' Crest forced a rough laugh, 'The UIOS unit transfer devices are connected to the cloud and send a receiver echo every six minutes or so. Turns out you can use these access codes remotely and…'

'YOU STOLE MY MONEY?!'

Officer Steen wasn't even sure if he had that much dots currently mobile.

Thankfully, the eeveelution was quick to jump in with an explanation. The Lucario released a hold on his aura and the bone-like staff that had appeared between his large paws faded. A crunching bone rush attack would have wiped the smirk off the electric-types face if he hadn't interrupted sooner.

'Don't worry.' He backed off in surrender, 'I didn't use any money at all...let alone _your_ money. That would have just been cruel…'

Crest stopped in front of the Jay and looked away from the blinding reflection of the solar panels.

'I just dished out the minimum for a dot transaction so it went through, but the rest is just blockchain placer-holders. It's a fairly blatant hack, but it'll get transferred through the mafia's pretty bodged system as soon as he undoubtedly spends it a Hightail owned hole somewhere. I've set the worm to trigger a response that will get all the involved accounts frozen as soon as the economic authority realise it's not money they're spending. The UIOS are sure as hell going to love them then.'

The Jolteon trailed off, shaking his fur off and with it a cloud of red dust before jumping up onto his hind legs. Officer Steen still found it a little unvering.

'And so why did you need to rip off my private access codes...which by the way, should be encrypted?'

'They were.' Crest agreed, hopping up nimbly to balance himself on one of the JAY's oversized engines.

'But…' He continued, 'I have access to something which you guys from the UIOS do not.'

The Jolteon gently kicked the side of the claimed FLUX engine with a clawed foot for emphasis.

'I have endless time.'

At this point Officer Steen just went with the Jolteon, although he was starting to believe more firmly in his assumptions that the eeveelution was a little insane.

'Not to mention…' Crest clambered over the top of the cockpit and leant over with his electric tail stuck upright and waving the in the warm air. 'But the mafia will bounce the signal around nearly every IP they have to clutter the blockchain. Lucky for you, they'll all be reported. Not only that, but it'll be sent through your personal address as a flagged violation.'

Slamming the latch over the now enclosed solar panels the Jolteon stood up straight a did a mock little bow.

'Congratulations Officer Steen. In about five days you would have personally taken out the entire Hightail Mafia on the grounds of both money laundering and fraud. You'd have single handedly taken out the biggest crime group on Aether...or at the very least isolated their entire computer network.'

Crest laughed at the steel-types gobsmacked expression. It was something which the UIOS officer quickly wiped off his muzzle as he composed himself.

'You're insane.' He spoke softly, 'Madness. It would take a genius hacker to do anything like that.'

'I have friends in high places…' The Jolteon admitted with a slight frown, 'And I had to sell off nearly everything I owned to get a favour like that.'

'Why bother?'

Crest slid down the front nose of his ship and in a smooth motion clicked the lock. After a small popping sound, the cockpit opened up with a scraping sound. Even from the outside, the two slim seats looked tiny inside the narrow fuselage.

'They tried to say the JAY was a crap ship...and had a go poncing it a while back. They've got spunk to come after me again but there we go. They're all idiots!'

'Wait...all of this just because they didn't like your…'

Even Officer Steen was wary of calling it a spaceship. As of yet he hadn't had the misfortune to find whether it survived in the vacuum of interplanetary space.

The Jolteon nodded, before leaning over and into the cockpit. A moment later he pulled out a scrap of card which he handed unceremoniously to the UIOS candidate.

'We're going to be a bit short of time when I drop you off...this being an unregistered ship and all...so theres a business card for you. When your Unit is praising you and offering you an early retirement...check these guys out. You have certain talents they could use.'

The Lucario frowned, struggling to hold the piece of card in his large paws.

'What? So I'm more than level three access now?'

The joke sounded terrible as soon as he said it, but that didn't stop the Jolteon from laughing.

'You bet. You're a UIOS insider...and who know...maybe one day a whistleblower?'

Officer Steen ignored that comment.

Before clambering into the cramped cabin once more, the Lucario took a moment to stretch his legs and study the note he'd been given. Slightly crumpled, the card had lost some of its colour but the black lettering across the front remained unfaded.

'THE ALLIANCE' was printed boldly. Underneath was a set of coordinates in spherical coordinates

'Buckle up.' Crest called to the seat behind when the Lucario has wriggled into place. 'Well cut across the inner system and drop you off at their head outpost there...I have a callout in that direction anyways so it works for me too.'

'I've already told you.' Officer Steen called forward, 'The FLUX portals are in geostationary.'

The Jolteon flicked some dark shades over his eyes.

'Where we're going...we don't need roads.'

* * *

END?

* * *

How was that? This story will act as a sort of prequel/intro to a sci-fi I am planning to piece together after I finish FH:W (which will be finished! I'm working on it!). However, this snippet will act as a standalone oneshot introducing the main character (Crest). I also shamelessly stole multiple ideas from sci-fi classics. Credit where credit is due.

Once again, a big thankyou to Just-A-Reader Love who helped plan this story as well as write it out! A pat on the back for them too!

Don't forget to leave a review! Especially as this will form the start of a next big fanfic, it would be great to know what you liked and disliked!

ZenColour


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